Five Times Gale Kisses Peeta
by Tokoloshe Monster
Summary: Gale Hawthorne kissed Peeta Mellark a grand total of five times. He kissed him because of a dare, as a gift, for a cover story, to say goodbye, and thanks to a victory. Lolderpfic. Slash.


**A/N: Eh, slash doesn't really do it for me, but I thought I might as well broaden my horizons. Crack!pairing, be warned.  
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**This was originally written for the Starvation's Clever, Crazy, Completely-Non Canon Challnge. (CCCNCC.) I wrote this almost two months ago, so it isn't my best. It was originally posted on the Starvation Forum.  
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><p><strong>oo1.<strong> It is a dare.

How clichéd. One of the readers in the back probably cringed when they read that sentence.

But alas, it did happen like that. Peeta and his twelve-year old friends sit in a circle, all goofy grins and silly expresions. They are playing a game of spin the bottle and when it is Peeta's turn, the bottle lands smack-bam between two people, pointing at the scariest boy in District 12 walking past their circle.

Gale Hawthorne.

Peeta's friend tell him to go anyway, saying that they would all chip into to buy him a treat. Peeta has no choice but to stand up and confront the fourteen-year-old boy, and ask him a huge favour.

Gale grins in a way that he knows will humiliate Peeta, kissing him quickly on the mouth for only a second. Peeta knows that the hunter is just taking the piss, chiding him for his innocence and youth, but Peeta can't help but feel something warm and fuzzy bloom.

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><p><strong>oo2.<strong> It is a gift.

Peeta has a cold and in District 12, a cold could mean death if treated incorrectly. Not to mention that it is winter, so Peeta can only bundle up his thin clothing around himself and hope for the best. He had no choice but to go to school anyway, even though his condition is rapidly deteriorating.

As he becomes worse and worse, stumbling between classes rather than actually learning, he bumps into Gale between lessons. He apologises before breaking out into a fit of coughs. Gale raises an eyebrow but says nothing.

The next day, while Peeta is walking home, a determined Gale strides confidently towards him through the empty street. He grabs the sides of Peeta's face and kisses him for the second time, two years after their last interaction.

Gale opens his mouth and pushes some sort of small chewed up ball of herbs into Peeta's mouth, and then lifts his lips to Peeta's ear then whispers; "That is highly illegal. Just swallow it and you'll be better by tomorrow, and don't tell anyone where you got it from."

He disappears into shadows, and Peeta feels cold spots where Gale had touched him with warm hands and lips.  
>When he wakes up the next morning, he feels better than he has in weeks.<p>

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><p><strong>oo3.<strong> It is a a very awkward cover story.

A fifteen-year-old Peeta has to go near the fence, looking for some plant that his mother needed for colouring a pastry. Peeta looks at the dull ground and tried to find what he's looking for in the twilight, just as Gale emerges from underneath the fence. He is empty-handed and Peeta assumes that Katniss took the kills with her to her exit point.

The Hawthorne regards the Mellark coolly and they stare at each other, trying not remember their last encounters.

"What are you doing here?"

A Peacekeeper emerges from seemingly the shadows. Peeta's face turns red and Gale uses it to his maximum advantage. "Sorry, sir, I is just meeting my, uh, friend here." Gale covers the small space between him and Peeta, crushing his lips to his for a couple of moments – is that tongue Peeta felt! – before marching off resolutely, leaving the Peacekeeper and boy with the bread stunned into silence.

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><p><strong>oo4.<strong> It is a death.

Well, the promise of one at least. Peeta Mellark has been Reaped along with Katniss Everdeen, and Gale is scared.

Correction: terrified. He doubts that either one of them would ever come home. Gale bites his lip and pictures himself gutting Snow, like he does with squirrels and birds.

Somehow before Peeta is escorted into the Justice Building, they end up alone for a few stolen minutes in a storage room.

Gale kisses Peeta grimly with short intensity. It's their longest kiss, clocking in at a minute. Peeta actually responds this time, moving his mouth forcefully against Gale's.

When they're done, Peeta speaks. "You only kissed me because you can't kiss Katniss right now."

Gale doesn't respond because he doesn't know if it's true or not.

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><p><strong>oo5. <strong>It's... well, Gale doesn't know what it is.

Gale knows the story of Peeta's rejection. He can't help but feel a welling of joy knowing that Katniss doesn't want Peeta, but he can't help but pity the boy with such good intentions.

So Gale goes to his house in Victor's village one day to send his condolences. "I never expected that you'd come home," he says when he sees Peeta, trying to avoid that happiness bubbling in his stomach.

Peeta cracks a wry grin. "I didn't expect to survive either. Shouldn't the Victor get a kiss for his troubles?"

Gale grins and leans closer, pulling in the battle-weary body close. His kiss is soft and sensual, and Gale can sense that Peeta has had plenty of practice since their last encounter.

Who needs Katniss Everdeen when you can have Peeta Mellark?


End file.
